Development Status: OUT NOW!!
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Picture format: 720p, 1080i
Release dates: NA October 23, UK November 7, JP November 11, AU November 8.
Genre: Platform, Shooter
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Language)
Demo Status: Available NOW on the PSN (yes you can invert the controls in the final game) -_-
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Review Score Average: MetaCritic
100
GamePro
An amazing PS3 game that fully leverages the power of the console. It sets the bar high for not only the series but for all PS3 games to come. It is, without a doubt, reason enough to buy the system.
100
GameTap
It's rare that a game critic feels the way I do about this game, but in all honesty, I find it really difficult to find something that's not to like. The controls feel great. The graphics look great. The score sounds great. The weapon selection alone make me want to play the game over and over again, just to test out all the cool offered.
95
PSM Magazine
Combines absolutely jaw-dropping graphics with familiar platforming/shooting mechanics and genuinely funny humor to make one of the PS3's few true masterpieces. [Dec 2007, p.66]
95
GamerNode
In Tools of Destruction, Insomniac is back doing what they do best, and they do it better than ever, This is the best Ratchet & Clank adventure to date, and at this point the best game the PS3 has to offer.
94
IGN
Not only has it supplanted Going Commando as the best title in the franchise, it's also the best game of any series on the PlayStation 3 thus far -- and that's saying a lot when you're up against Oblivion, Ninja Gaiden, Warhawk and Insomniac's very own previous effort, Resistance: Fall of Man.
93
PSM3 Magazine UK
Intense, beautiful and accessible. A return to the series' roots and a stellar game indeed. [Nov 2007, p.22]
93
GameZone
Tools of Destruction feels a bit short at times, but that is only when you are just driving through the game, going from point A to point B in the shortest route possible. When you take time to explore, you realize how expansive this game is, and how wonderfully designed.
93
Game Informer
It succeeds simply by delivering gameplay that’s perfectly executed along with a story that lovingly advances the saga of characters I’ve known and loved for years. Could it have done more to push the envelope? Sure, but that’s not what I’ll think of when I remember playing this game. I’m just going to remember all the fun I had – and that’s the point, isn’t it?
91
Gaming Age
It has the beautiful next-gen visuals, new weapons and gadgets and even some well-implemented motion controlled segments, though overall it does nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected. It's an enjoyable, beautiful ride that just seems kind of familiar in the end.
90
Pro-G
Whether you're a platformer fan or fancy some frenetic blasting action, Tools of Destruction fits the bill. Combine the enjoyable gameplay (that's fun for all ages) with some of the best visuals the PS3 has seen and you have a game that every PS3 owner should own.
90
GameTrailers
The size and scale of these environments are incredible, with so much little detail going on in the background and no loading time once you've entered a level. It's definitely the best-looking PS3 game on the market.
90
Games Radar
Ratchet & Clank Future isn't a revolution, but it is a marvelously kickass game that'll keep you entertained for hours as you plumb the depths of its huge levels, find creative ways to blow up its monsters and try to ferret out all its dozens of cleverly hidden items.
90
Game Almighty
The outstanding combination of tight gameplay and a first-rate presentation make it a great game.
90
PSX Extreme
This is visually one of the best looking games on the market. And with an engine that's gunning it at 60 frames per second, and capable of 1080i upscaled, R&C Future is also running on one of the best engines, as well. The gameplay is precisely what we've all come to love, except louder, more heated, more energetic, more fun, and with all new gameplay mechanics added to the mix.
85
1UP
An uninspired story, a glitchy weapon, and a sometimes-unwieldy camera don't damage Ratchet beyond repair. The irresistibly addictive jumping-shooting-collecting-upgrading gameplay is as powerful here as it's ever been, and the optional collectibles, side-missions, and unlockable Challenge mode offer a really satisfying amount of play time.
80
GameSpy
Sadly, Ratchet & Clank Future has no multiplayer component to speak of, which bothers us both because we love multiplayer and because the series had a bit of a multiplayer groove for a while.
75
GameSpot
The game just can't decide what it wants to be. The story tries to be epic in its scope and appeal to an older audience, but the game is extremely easy and the story's premise is thin and the ending disappointing. The core gameplay of shooting and platforming is as solid as ever, but it's diluted by too many uninteresting minigames and unnecessary gameplay mechanics.
Screens
History
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is one of the flagship franchises for the PlayStation brand and it lands on the PS3 with a bang, bringing an offline-only high-definition fun and action-packed platforming game from the folks at Insomniac games responsible for four successful Ratchet and Clank games on the PS2.
The game was first announced at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, where a Ratchet & Clank next-gen tech demonstration was shown for the PlayStation 3. Many new worlds and weapons will be introduced into the game like in previous installments of the series.
It was also planned to operate as a platform game, as Insomniac wanted to stop the series from becoming the more weapon based combat game it had become in the previous games Up Your Arsenal and Deadlocked.
Storyline
After saving countless planets from dreadful doom and earning intergalactic mega-celebrity status in the process, Ratchet and Clank have taken some well-deserved RandR -- again.
Yet, Ratchet remains restless.
An orphan of the universe, he has never known anything of his past, his family, or his Lombax origins. And no one, not even Clank, can fill that void. Unfortunately for Ratchet, someone else is equally interested in Ratchet's origins: Emperor Percival Tachyon.
In his thirst for revenge, the vile tyrant of an ancient race of foul insect-like monsters called Cragmites has festered an age-old grudge and is bent on wiping the last-known Lombax off the universe. As Tachyon's forces ambush Ratchet and Clank in their home galaxy, our heroes realize they need to escape quickly to prevent its destruction.
In a move of desperate irony, Ratchet and Clank steal Tachyon's imperial warship and embark upon an adventure bigger than any they've experienced- one that will not only unravel the mystery of the Lombaxes, but also test the very limits of their friendship.
Characters
Ratchet's sidekick, Clank, will be playable in this game unlike his non-controllable role in Ratchet: Deadlocked. This is because Insomniac Games have said that Clank will discover new abilities and powers, and that many players were disappointed at Clank's diminished role in the last game. Captain Qwark and the Plumber have been confirmed to be returning.
Ratchet - The main protagonist of the series and the last Lombax
Clank - Ratchet's robotic sidekick.
Captain Qwark - A bumbling superhero who aids both Ratchet and Tachyon.
Emperor Percival Tachyon - A Cragmite who is bent on killing every Lombax.
The Plumber - A recurring character who gives the duo advice.
Talwyn - A girl whose father is searching for the "Lombax secret."
Cronk and Zephyr - Talwyn's robotic guardians.
Gameplay
The game will go back to its platformer roots after the near complete departure from platforming that Deadlocked took.
There will be a variety of new weapons in Tools of Destruction. Insomniac also plans to create all-new combat devices, which are special weapons that Ratchet uses.
There are numerous Ratchet & Clank-style weapons (guns which are not archetypal). One is the Tornado Launcher, which is a weapon that spits out a small cyclone of wind that picks up enemies and throws them around. The SIXAXIS controller has been implemented here, so that the Tornado movement is controlled by the SIXAXIS. The player can still control Ratchet via the analog sticks. The Plasma Shield returns, but as a special crate effect rather than a weapon.
There are also archetypal weapons, such as the Combuster, a rapid-firing weapon, the Fusion Grenades, which are thrown explosives, and the Negotiator, a missile launcher which can lock-on to foes.
Other weapons include the Pyro Blaster, Visi-Copter, Buzz Blades, Mr. Zurkon (a small hovering robot which destroys and taunts enemies) and the Death Springs. Mr. Zurkon will have a hidden costume called Captain James based on a child from Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
Gadgets will play large roles in the puzzles throughout the game. The Gelanator is one such gadget. It fires out a jelly block which is used to climb up walls with ease, which acts as a mini-platform. There is also the newly announced Geo-Laser, which is controlled by Clank, and can create bridges. Clank also acquires "Robo-Wings" which give both Ratchet and Clank the ability of flight. Swingshot targets indicate that a version of the Swingshot is returning.
There are reported to be a total of 31 weapons, gadgets, and devices, further divided into. Unlike Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal, the player cannot unlock weapons from previous games using a memory card. Instead they redesigned all of the weapons due to the previous games weapons having a much lower polygon count.
Weapons in the game level up with use and increase in power. In addition to the regular linear progression, raritanium (seemingly as common as bolts) can be used to modify weapons, giving the user increased fire power, ammo capacity, and/or firing speed. The purchases are made at a "modification tree" where the user can upgrade the weapons on a grid similar to Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid. Devices cannot be upgraded in order to prevent them from becoming too powerful.
Addn. Gameplay Tidbits
- New weapon called the "Reaper Shotgun."
-A weapon called the "Death Springs"- springs which bounce around the screen until they attach themselves to an enemy and subsequently detonate.
-Confirmation of a weapon called the "Electric Ravager".
-Skill points unlock cheats.
-Gold bolts apparently unlock new skins
-new characters that are introduced are "a cut above past casts,"
-Arena battles
-Groovitron ammo can only be bought at vendors, not found in crates.
-Raritanium is used to unlock weapon upgrades and it can be "found in abundance in the game world."
-Clank has new abilities, such as levitation and the ability to slow down time and the power to rebuild objects.
-A new planet called Murkov has a funfair of death
-In one level called Planet Kortog you can roam the entire level using the robowings at your leisure
Environments
So far, ten areas have been revealed: Kerwan (Metropolis), Jasindu (Kerchu City), Cobalia, Stratus City, Zordoom Prison, Slag's Fleet, Sargasso, the Iris Supercomputer, the Borag Nebula, and Rykan V. On Jasindu, the duo explore a city being invaded by Space Pirates. Once they manage to get past the pirate hordes, Ratchet is forced to fight a giant wrecking robot commandeered by one of the native Kerchu. This boss will be fought on grind rails and on foot.
Trailers: GameTrailers R&C Future Page
Other Links
Official Site
Insomniac Games
